"E.V.O", the fifth studio album from Brazilian metallers ALMAH, led by ex-ANGRA singer Edu Falaschi, can be streamed in its entirety below. The CD was released in North America via Test Your Metal Records. "E.V.O" is also available through Pride & Joy Music (Europe) and King Records (Japan).

"E.V.O" was recorded at IMF studios in São Paulo, Brazil by Tito Falaschi and was mixed and mastered by Damien Rainaud (FEAR FACTORY, DRAGONFORCE, BABYMETAL) at Mix Unlimited in Los Angeles, California. It is a concept album based on the evolution of people's mind and soul during the so-called "Age Of Aquarius" — the new era that the world is about to live. The author of the concept, Edu Falaschi, touches different subjects connected to the main idea, creating very positive lyrics for the album's atmosphere.

Musically, "E.V.O" brings a fresh and powerful sound with the typical modern and heavy ALMAH touch, but this time one will be able to realize that it also has a direct connection with the ANGRA's "Rebirth" (the first ANGRA album with Edu Falaschi's voice). The compositions are a pleasant travel between contemporary rock, modern power and prog metal. The vocal lines on "E.V.O" are very powerful, classic and the vocals have a higher pitch compared to previous ALMAH's records. It's very melodic, clean and into the bel canto style.

"E.V.O" track listing:

01. Age Of Aquarius (7:13) 02. Speranza (4:55) 03. The Brotherhood (4:41)04. Innocence (4:35)05. Higher (5:09)06. Infatuated (4:05)07. Pleased To Meet You (4:24)08. Final Warning (4:13)09. Indigo (3:46)10. Corporate War (4:19)11. Capital Punishment (4:00)

ALMAH is:

Edu Falaschi - VocalsMarcelo Barbosa - GuitarRaphael Dafras - BassDiogo Mafra - GuitarPedro Tinello - Drums

California deathcore masters SUICIDE SILENCE will release their new, self-titled album in February 2017 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment. The CD was produced by Ross Robinson, who has previously worked with KORN, SLIPKNOT, LIMP BIZKIT and SEPULTURA, among others.

In a recent interview with Wall Of Sound, SUICIDE SILENCE guitarist Mark Heylmun elaborated on his previous comment that the band's upcoming album would not be what people expect.

"Well, pretty much what I meant by 'people won't expect what it is' was that people won't expect the 'punk rock' attitude that we gave toward this record," he said. "It's the raw, live, everything is us. It's not gonna be full of computer trickery. It's not gonna sound like all the Pro Tools ninjas and Logic ninjas. We got real microphones on real drums and real amps with real performances, real takes, real fucking everything. The record's gonna be natural and raw and fucking pissed. It's gonna be exactly what music needs, which is some fucking heart. Some fucking blood. Some real fucking 'give-a-shit' passion put down onto moments in time. I mean, we recorded with tape on this record. There's real music, it's not samples and a bunch of fucking bullshit like Auto-Tune or whatever the fuck. We just went for it, for a record that speaks for us and really exemplifies where we're at as a band. It's gonna be something else for people to witness. Like a car accident they can't keep their eyes off of."

Heylmun added that SUICIDE SILENCE intentionally took its time making the new album to insure that the record will turn out exactly how the band wanted it to be, without any external influences affecting the process.

"We don't want to compete with music industry bullshit, where everybody's just trying to crank out a record every two years because that's what you have to do," he said. "Or, like, put out this record because this is what people are gonna want. This is the first record that we've fully just put blinders on and we're not looking at anything going on outside of us, just what's in front of us. And what's in front of us is our band. And the music we're gonna make is the music we're gonna make and there's no outside influence other than SUICIDE SILENCE doing what SUICIDE SILENCE wants to do. So it feels good. We're far along in the process, the record won't be out until next year but we're deep in it."

Heylmun also talked about the songwriting process for the follow-up to 2014's "You Can't Stop Me". He said: "I think that overall idea for this record, and the process, is to try everything. If there is an idea, try it. Don't be afraid, you know? Don't let the fear of trying something different stop you from opening up a can that might be the… exact soup you wanna taste, I don't know. [Laughs] There's lots of food metaphors when it comes to music: we're making a sandwich and one person has to show up with the vegetables and another person has to show up with the meat, but some people don't eat meat, so you gotta show up with the right cheese. And some people don't like cheese… [Laughs] I don't know. We always want to work together to encourage everyone to be the best that they can be. So that's especially where we're at, having gone through a lot, and having a new member come in and having to rebuild that whole camaraderie of being creative. We're all just trying to give to the music, and give to each other and give, give, give, give, give. Because we gotta get shit out and give this fucking music, this fiery piece of nothing, this magical thing that doesn't even exist until we create it. Just throw down and give it all you can and encourage each other to give all you can and encourage each other to give it everything you possibly can. So that's what the new record is going to be like."

"You Can't Stop Me", SUICIDE SILENCE's first album to feature vocalist Hernan "Eddie" Hermida and their first since the tragic loss of singer Mitch Lucker, was released in July 2014 via Nuclear Blast Entertainment.

Mitch Lucker died November 1, 2012 after sustaining injuries in a motorcycle crash in Huntington Beach that Halloween night.

SLIPKNOT performed its 2001 album "Iowa" in its entirety at the Ozzfest Meets Knotfest festival on Sunday, September 25 at San Manuel Amphitheater and Festival Grounds in San Bernardino, California.

Drum-cam footage of SLIPKNOT drummer Jay Weinberg's "The Shape" performance from Ozzfest Meets Knotfest can be seen below.

"Iowa" came out in August 2001 and followed up SLIPKNOT's double-platinum 1999 major label debut.

Still considered their heaviest and darkest effort to date, the disc was made during a difficult period in the band's career. Percussionist Shawn "Clown" Crahan told The Pulse Of Radio that the chaos surrounding "Iowa" is what made it so intense. "The whole thing, from the beginning — it wasn't a disaster, it was exactly what we wanted to do," he said. "It's where we all wanted to be. We all made a conscious decision to dive headfirst into this thought process known as 'Iowa', and it was a very painful, disgusting, evil, angry, hateful, self-indulgent monster."

"Iowa" has sold more than one million copies and featured the songs "Left Behind", "The Heretic Anthem", "My Plague", "Disasterpiece" and others.

Singer Corey Taylor told Metal Hammer about the album: "Our whole goal was to go in and make this dense, destructive album. We had no idea how destructive it was going to be. You can hear the bile in it, you can hear the frenetic passion for what we were trying to do."

SLIPKNOT was forced to postpone its North American trek with MARILYN MANSON by three weeks after Taylor underwent what he described as "an unplanned spinal surgery."

The summer trek was likely SLIPKNOT's last U.S. tour in support of its latest album, ".5: The Gray Chapter", which was released in October 2014.

Thank you, @KNOTFEST. #IOWA pic.twitter.com/AjKBcxnqFl

— Slipknot (@slipknot) September 26, 2016

TRIUMPH legend Rik Emmett and his new band, RESOLUTION9, will release their electrifying new album, "Res 9", worldwide on November 11 via Mascot Label Group. "Res 9" features contributions from RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson, DREAM THEATER vocalist James LaBrie, and Rik Emmett's onetime TRIUMPH bandmates, bassist Mike Levine and drummer Gil Moore.

The official lyric video for the lead track "Human Race", featuring a guest appearance by Lifeson, can be seen below.

"This album represents a journey through my life," Emmett observes, "and the idea behind a lot of these songs is me trying to figure out who I am, and why I'm doing what I'm doing. There's a common thread of positivity here that ties into the records I was making 30 years ago. What did I learn from making them? You'll hear all of that echoed in the grooves of this album."

Indeed, the scope of the eleven deeply heartfelt songs on "Res 9" covers a lot of exciting aural ground, from the out-of-the-gate gallop of "Human Race" (which also features a driving 12-string contribution from Lifeson) to the testifying tones of "My Cathedral" to the whispering blues of "The Ghost of Shadow Town", not to mention the cutting-heads guitar duels on "End Of The Line" and the touching album-closing bonus track "Grand Parade". which reunites Emmett with Levine and Moore. The RESOLUTION9 band itself is comprised of Rik's touring quartet, with Dave Dunlop on guitar, Steve Skingley on bass and keyboards, and Paul DeLong on drums. Dunlop and Skingley also co-produced "Res 9" with Emmett.

Emmett is a strong believer in teamwork, and to him, the overall vibe of "Res 9" is clearly reflected in the brotherhood and camaraderie shared amongst all the artists who made this special music together. "You can't accomplish this kind of project 100 percent by yourself," Emmett believes. "It takes a lot of things working together to make something like this happen. I come back to the old saying that goes, 'Success has many fathers, and failure is an orphan.' I knew that I had to spread it all around. It's important I keep the guys in my band pretty happy."

Lead track "Human Race" masterfully sets the positivity table for what's to come. "I've been around the block a few times, and one of the things I like about the lyrics in 'Human Race' is when we get to the last verse where it says, 'I am still this guy. I still live this.' That's very true," Emmett acknowledges. "There's also a line in there about raising a joyful noise — and I still want to do that too."

Lifeson added some period-perfect 12-string guitar alongside Emmett and Dunlop to buttress the impact of "Human Race", and he says he found it quite an honor to play with and for his lifelong friend. "When Rik asked me to play on his new album, I didn't hesitate for a second," Lifeson reports. "He's the consummate musician, a wonderful guitarist, and a terrific person, and it's always my pleasure to work with him any chance I can get. There is a rock purity in his songwriting and performance, and it's just so much fun to get together and throw ideas around. He's always so up and open for anything — even a notoriously uncooperative Rickenbacker 12-string!" Dunlop points out the way RESOLUTION9 meshed with Lifeson "stands as a great example of the collective efforts of the brotherhood."

Another one of "Res 9"'s honored guests, LaBrie, lent his own considerable talents to a pair of tracks, "I Sing" and "End Of The Line" (the latter of which also features Lifeson taking the third guitar solo), and he jumped at the chance to record with his fellow Canadian.

"I've been extremely blessed and fortunate to meet so many great musicians and beautiful people throughout my career, and to have the opportunity to collaborate and record with some of them is really icing on the cake," LaBrie notes. "What a thrill it was to record with Rik, who is such an incredible musician and overall down-to-earth cool guy." About the slow-build manifesto of "I Sing", Skingley enthuses, "James sang his ass off on that song!" Adds Dunlop, "I enjoyed tracking the guitars on 'I Sing' the most because I got to go crazy with several layers of guitars — and I also got to channel [PINK FLOYD's] David Gilmour on the outro."

A fair amount of the album was recorded and mixed at Mississauga, Ontario's MetalWorks Studios, a location where Emmett, Levine and Moore (who owns the studio) recorded many of TRIUMPH's greatest works — and it's also where the trio convened to tackle "Grand Parade". Clarifies Emmett, "The TRIUMPH song is a bonus track. That's the best way to position it. It's like 'Suitcase Blues' [the last track on TRIUMPH's 1979 million-seller, 'Just A Game'] — or 'Her Majesty' at the end of Abbey Road!"

Having TRIUMPH involved on "Res 9" to some degree was always on the table. "I play 'Suitcase Blues' as the last song of the night in the encore for my acoustic shows. I dedicate it to Mike and Gil and the fact that they gave me the latitude to do the crazy things that I do," Emmett laughs. "As I was developing the lyrics for 'Grand Parade', I started thinking, 'Wouldn't it be great if I could get Mike and Gil to play on it? Wouldn't that just bring everything full circle?' One thing led to another, and there we were, recording in MetalWorks. Things just lined up perfectly."

Levine had a great time in the studio with his former bandmates. "We rocked it up a bit, and Gil made the drums heavier than they were on the demo," the bassist notes. "Once I paid deeper attention to the lyrics, I really got into the 'let's wrap up this late night' kind of feel to it. I think it turned out really fantastic. I told Rik I felt it was a really cool tune, one that was very personal for all of us. I'm really, really proud of it, and it was great to work with both Rik and Gil on it. It was really neat."

Moore wholly enjoyed the "Grand Parade" experience. "It was really a pleasure to have Rik and his band at MetalWorks, and getting to see him there every day was just like the old days," the drummer recounts. "I always liked how Rik was able to bring another dimension and another color palette to what we were doing, and I like the spacious bass and drum tracks we did together. That's what's always been in my wheelhouse, as far as my playing is concerned. I'm really happy with how this song turned out. I hope we get to do it again."

Emmett's ultimate goal for "Res 9" is to connect with as many people as possible. "The context of this entire album for me was, 'Wow, somebody tossed me a lifeline,'" he concludes. "I still want to make positive music and offer people something that's motivating and inspiring — and I want to do it for myself too. I need music, and music can provide that lifeline for me." Mission accomplished: "I've got a thirst for life," as Emmett sings on "Human Race". And you'll find that thirst being quenched quite handily in the very heartbeats that percolate within all eleven tracks of "Res 9". Drink up.

"Res 9" track listing:

01. Stand Still02. Human Race (feat. Alex Lifeson)03. I Sing (feat. James LaBrie)04. My Cathedral05. The Ghost Of Shadow Town06. When You Were My Baby07. Sweet Tooth08. Heads Up09. Rest Of My Life10. End Of The Line (feat. Alex Lifeson & James LaBrie)11. Grand Parade (feat. Gil Moore & Mike Levine) (bonus track)

CELLAR DARLING, the new band featuring former ELUVEITIE members Anna Murphy (vocals, hurdy-gurdy), Merlin Sutter (drums) and Ivo Henzi (guitars, bass), has released its first single, "Challenge". This marks the very first release from the trio after their highly publicized departure from ELUVEITIE earlier this year. A second track written and recorded during the same sessions, "Fire, Wind & Earth", was also made available.

"Challenge" and "Fire, Wind & Earth" were recorded by CELLAR DARLING and Marco Jencarelli and Anna Murphy at Soundfarm, mixed by Tommy Vetterli at Newsound studios, and mastered by Jens Bogren at Fascination Street studios. All strings were recorded by Shir-Ran Yinon and the artwork features photography by Merlin Sutter.

CELLAR DARLING has confirmed a first show with Anneke Van Giersbergen's THE GENTLE STORM on December 17 at the Melkweg in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

"Challenge" and "Fire, Wind & Earth" are available now for streaming and download on all digital platforms and services. Both songs were released on Friday, September 23. The unique lyric video features the talented actress Fabienne Fellmann (who is also featured on the cover artwork). It is based on an idea by Anna Murphy, directed by Anna Murphy and CELLAR DARLING, with videography and editing by Merlin Sutter and generous post-production help by Michel Frutig at Maybaum.

The band comments on the songs: "'Challenge' is about an inner struggle, a battle you are fighting against yourself and the world. It is you, screaming at yourself in the mirror and getting high on newfound strength. It is failing, overcoming and achieving. The bipolar dance that is life.

"We have fallen. We have screamed. We have battled. We found strength. We will overcome.

"'Challenge' is inspired by a visual image that crept into Anna's mind, during what felt like a period tainted with recurring downfall and getting back up again. The music accompanying this image is a symbiosis of dance and combat, sweet and angry.

"'Fire, Wind & Earth' was written recorded in the same sweaty summer sessions. The idea for the intro riff was stuck in Ivo's head for a long time. As soon as all of CELLAR DARLING started working together on it, the whole song just evolved naturally. The result is a very straightforward and furious song, both musically and lyrically!"

Murphy, Sutter and Henzi left ELUVEITIE in June 2016 in an unexpected and stunning turn of events. In their decade with the band, they recorded and released six albums and played nearly a thousand shows in more than 45 countries on six continents, picking up a fan-voted Swiss Music Award as "Best Live Act" along the way.

"For over 12 years, we got to do what we love most in the world, and when it all fell apart one faithful day last summer, we were as stunned as the fans," the trio said. "ELUVEITIE was our life, touring the world many times over, meeting fans in all corners of the planet…

"What we are left with is the overwhelming support from the best fans in the world, as well as incredible creativity, drive, and the desire to share with the world what we have in store for the future.

"Friendship and support have helped us through a very dark period filled with anguish and uncertainty, and we are thankful to both our fans and the colleagues and friends who came through for us — you know who you are.

"One thing that never ceased is the music flowing in our veins. The three of us have helped each other through this, and have channeled all that energy into these two songs. We've stepped up to the challenge that life threw at us.

"We are looking forward to continuing our musical journey with you all. For your friendship, we will reward you thousandfold!"

"Big Money", a brand new song from TYKETTO, can be streamed below. The track is taken from the band's new album, "Reach", which will be released on October 14 via Frontiers Music Srl.

After five years of relentless touring that included playing on some of the most prestigious stages on the planet, TYKETTO took their revitalized energy in to the studio in the spring of 2016. The sessions took place at the legendary Rockfield Studios (QUEEN, RUSH, OASIS) in Wales. Musically, the band is truly at the top of their game, with their muscular brand of melodic rock delivered with the finest arrangements and awesome performances.

Lead vocalist Danny Vaughn comments: "Although we only had planned on recording ten songs for 'Reach', we were so pleased with everything, we decided to keep all twelve songs on the record.

"We unanimously decided on 'Reach' as the title of the album as it defines who this band is in 2016.

"We have a new energy, some incredible new members, and a fresh outlook toward the future.

"All of us have pushed each other beyond our limits to make what we feel is a pinnacle record in our catalog."

Adds drummer and founding member Michael Clayton Arbeeny: "Many bands who have been out as long as we have feel they need to fit into a preconceived notion of what their fans expect to hear.

"Following in the footsteps of icons such as QUEEN, LED ZEPPELIN and Prince, we have decided to expand our musical boundaries and introduce our friends around the world to TYKETTO 2016.

"Rest assured that all the songs on 'Reach' still carry the trademark melodies and choruses our fans have grown to love over the decades.

"The band is feeling stronger and performing better than ever and we can’t wait to share this music with the world."

In addition to Vaughn and Arbeeny, the 2016 lineup of TYKETTO includes Chris Green (guitar and vocals), Ged Rylands (keyboards and vocals) and Chris Childs (bass).

An eleven-country tour to support "Reach" commences in October.

"Reach" track listing:

01. Reach02. Big Money03. Kick Like A Mule04. Circle The Wagons05. I Need It Now06. Tearing Down The Sky07. Letting Go08. The Fastest Man Alive09. Remember My Name10. Sparks Will Fly11. Scream12. The Run13. Precious Little Gets Away (digital bonus track)

TYKETTO is:

Danny Vaughn – Lead VocalsMichael Clayton Arbeeny - Drums, Percussion, Vocals Ged Rylands - Keyboards, Vocals Chris Green - Guitar, Vocals Chris Childs - Bass, Vocals

Earlier this year, Cali rockers All Hail The Yeti released Screams From A Black Wilderness, their second studio album based around classic campfire-circle style horror stories and presenting a different story with each track. However, one track on the album, "Mr. Murder", stood by itself and was not part of the album theme. Instead it was written to honour All Hail The Yeti vocalist Connor Garritty's late best friend, Matthew Berube. The track features guest vocals from Brock Lindow of 36 Crazyfists. Now, the brand new video for "Mr. Murder" can be viewed below.

Connor comments: "We are very excited to finally release the video for 'Mr. Murder'. This was shot over the last few tours, compiled with live footage and tour antics while paying tribute to our brother Matthew Berube who passed away in 2015. It also features our dear friend, Brock Lindow of 36 Crazyfists who flew out from Alaska to join us on the Haunted And Damaged tour to perform live and film the video. This song is very difficult for us to perform live given the subject matter, but also brings us great happiness to immortalize our best friend. Hope you all enjoy... Hail 'Mr. Murder'!"

All Hail The Yeti is currently on tour across North America, opening for Max & Iggor Cavalera;  a complete listing of tour dates can be found at this location.

(Band photo by Kristin Vahl)

 

 

In a brand new interview with The National Student, guitarist/vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt of Swedish progressive metallers OPETH spoke about the sharp musical turn the band took with 2011's "Heritage" album and its follow-up release, 2014's "Pale Communion".

He said: "It wasn't a decision that we sat down and discussed. The decision happened on its own; it happened in the middle of a creative process actually, because I was writing what was going to be our tenth record ['Heritage']. It was kind of heavy, like a continuation of the stuff we were best known for: very dynamic music and mainly screaming, death metal vocals. But I guess I was fooling myself when I was writing that kind of stuff. I was fooling myself that I liked it and that it was the right thing to do. I played some stuff to Martin Mendez, who plays bass in OPETH, and he said something along the lines of, This is not what we should do.' He didn't say 'This is not good enough,' he just thought it wasn't interesting, and he was right. We kind of milked that sound to the very end."

"Heritage" turned out to be cleaner than anything OPETH had ever done before, with the death metal overtones, heavy riffs and dark atmosphere disappearing in favor of a more '70s-inspired rock style.

"It was liberating," Åkerfeldt said. "It was fantastic, I have to say. I feel more free.

"I'm not gonna say anything bad about metal, because I love metal, but we felt shackled in that kind of sound that we had created and I wanted to move on a little bit. And once we dared to make that step, it felt like a rejuvenation and I lost all fears of everything. Now it just feels like I can focus on writing good music and I don't necessarily feel the need that we, as a band, have to fit in anywhere."

Mikael admitted that he was reluctant to drop the death metal elements in OPETH's music for fear of alienating the band's fan case.

"Even though I love those early records, I want to expand my singing," he said. "But I was afraid, a bit nervous people will completely stop liking us and we'll be reduced to nothing and have a job cleaning toilets. I guess I was a little bit afraid for our career, but that was the biggest warning sign; to cater to a career could have been the worst thing I think I could have done. I need that type of honesty when I write music otherwise it's going to end up being shit, I think."

OPETH's twelfth studio album, "Sorceress", is scheduled for release on September 30 via the band's imprint label Moderbolaget Records with Nuclear Blast.

For "Sorceress", OPETH returned to Rockfield Studios in Wales, also home to pivotal releases from QUEEN, RUSH and JUDAS PRIEST, where the Swedes had tracked "Pale Communion" in 2014 with Tom Dalgety.

CINDERELLA guitarist Jeff LaBar has accepted blame for the group's prolonged period of activity, explaining that his "drinking problem" caused a rift between him and his bandmates.

CINDERELLA frontman Tom Keifer recently told RockRevolt Magazine that "some issues" within the band — "going back decades" — have effectively sidelined the group for the past four years. He explained: "We took some pretty extreme measures to right the ship and fix things, and we made a pact as a band in 2012 that we would not do anything as a band until the issues were resolved. That's how much it came to a head. The issues are unresolved, so that's all I can say about that."

Although CINDERELLA hasn't released a new studio album since 1994's "Still Climbing", the band started playing sporadic shows again in 2010 but has been largely inactive for the last few years while Keifer focuses on his solo career.

Now, in a brand new interview with "Another FN Podcast With Izzy Presley", LaBar opened up for the first time about CINDERELLA's decision to stop touring, saying that he understands why Tom doesn't return his calls and admitting that he is "pretty much done playing music."

Asked what his take is on where CINDERELLA stands in 2016, LaBar said: "Hmmm… I have no idea. I don't talk to any of them anymore. Or, let's put it this way: they don't talk to me.

"We all made a pact a long time ago to not continue CINDERELLA if one of us drops out. And I think [Tom is] gonna stick to that. I don't talk to him anymore, so I don't really know for a fact. But we all did make a pact not to do it if it wasn't the four of us. And it's not the four of us anymore.

"I can only speculate, but I believe it's all my fault. It's no secret that I've had a drinking problem. And it showed its ugly face on one of those [cruises that CINDERELLA played]. I guess that's what caused a rift.

"We've all gotten along so well. I've never had a longer relationship — and none of us have. Over thirty years, we've all gotten along every single day — like, almost never argued with each other.

"When I fell out on one of those cruise ships in front of everybody — like, basically O.D.'d — that's when the band, and mostly Tom, took notice and was, like, 'What the fuck?' So they sent me to rehab. I did the rehab, I did extra rehab, and Tom was, basically, my champion. He paid for quite a bit of it, so I did an extra month on Tom's dime, and came out a better man. But I only stayed sober for a year. I got off painkillers that I was addicted to because of my hip surgery; I had a hip replacement, and everybody was anxious to give me painkillers, which I needed, but I took it too far, being a partying guy.

"So I got off the painkillers, but a year sober alienated me from everybody around me — everybody I was hanging with, everybody I was working with. Being sober in front of people drinking sucks. On top of the fact that I suffer from anxiety. Part of the reason I drink is so I can walk out of my house and deal with the public — and it's always been that way. So I went back to drinking, and some people [did not approve of it] and maybe took it personal."

Asked if he is sober now, LaBar said: "No, I'm not. Which is the problem. Which is probably the problem. Like I said, I can only speculate, because I don't talk to the other guys anymore. I talk to Fred [Coury, drums] every now and then. Eric [Brittingham, bass] lives twenty minutes from me. We haven't talked lately, but Eric and I have been the most consistent of all my bandmates throughout the past thirty-two years. It's just Tom and I that don't talk anymore. And I can only speculate that he's very disappointed and doesn't wanna see me die. He doesn't wanna witness me dying."

The guitarist, who recently enrolled in the culinary arts associate degree program at The Art Institute Of Tennessee, added: "I drink a few beers. I'm in school all day, so I'm not drinking. I'm being responsible. I'm actually getting straight As in school. But when I come home, I chill out with a couple of beers. I go to bed early. I'm usually in bed by nine or ten. So I'm being responsible."

According to LaBar, the touring lifestyle "fed [his] appetite for partying… all the way back to the '80s." He explained: "I have a history. It's not just these past issues. I have a history of drinking and cocaine… In the '80s, it was cocaine abuse. In the '90s, it was heroin. I went through every cliché phase that a rock star could go through. It just wasn't highly publicized. I was arrested, I went through rehab, I did all the things MÖTLEY CRÜE did. I just didn't publicize it. I was MÖTLEY CRÜE and GUNS N' ROSES all wrapped into one. As a band, we tried to hide our dirty laundry, and most of our dirty laundry was me. We didn't try to hide it; we just didn't publicize it. We just didn't tell people. 'Oh, yeah, Jeff's in rehab. Jeff's in jail. Jeff's in… whatever.' We just didn't publicize it. We actually kept it to ourselves. It was our family. It was our family business, and that's how we treated it."

Despite the fact that he hasn't spoken to Keifer in the last couple of years, LaBar says that he doesn't hold a grudge against his longtime friend and bandmate. "I understand why he doesn't return my calls, and I don't blame him," he said. "I understand. And hey, you know, he's been the major talent of CINDERELLA all this time, and he deserves to be solo. Not deserves to be solo, but, you know, it was inevitable for him to go solo. He's just one of those guys — lead singer, main songwriter. It's inevitable that he should go solo and basically dump [laughs], dump the dead weight."

Although LaBar credits CINDERELLA's success primarily to Keifer's charisma and songwriting skills, he believes that he played a role in the band's early rise.

"I feel fortunate to have been a part of [CINDERELLA] or contributed to [the band]," he said. "'Cause I think I helped… I mean, I don't discount anything I did. I believe I helped in the success of CINDERELLA. I know what my contribution was. It could have been bigger. I wish I wrote more songs. I definitely could have done more and partied less. I take responsibility for my part in this whole situation. Believe me, I know."

He continued: "I rode [Tom's] coattails for long enough. I mean, the man is the most talented man I've ever met, and he has been the biggest influence on me in my career and in my life. So I have no complaints. He should do what he wants. He should tour solo, continue to do that, and all I can do is wish him the utmost success. He deserves more success than what he gained with CINDERELLA."

LaBar released his debut solo album, "One For The Road", in August 2014, but has kept a relatively low profile in the last year as he focused on the next phase of his life.

"I'm pretty much done playing music," Jeff said. "I can't do it on a high-school level anymore. With CINDERELLA, we have crew, we have bus drivers, we have buses and trucks and all. I wake up, I go on stage, I do my thing. On the level that I've been doing it for the past few years, I just don't have it in me anymore. I can't travel in a van with trailers and [haul] my own gear until four in the morning. It's just too hard. I enjoy cooking more."

Unlike Brittingham, who played with LAST IN LINE on the DEF LEPPARD cruise in January and is now a member of Bret Michaels's (POISON) solo backing band, LaBar says that he hasn't been approached by any other groups about joining them on the road or in the studio. He told "Another FN Podcast With Izzy Presley",: "I think my reputation precedes me. I think I haven't been offered some things because, quite frankly, the word is out that I'm a fucking drunk. I know in my Nashville community I've heard that. So it is what it is. I'm not trying to make excuses or even correct it. I'm just trying to move on with my life."

Joe Perry has suggested in a new interview that he has completed work on his new solo album.

The AEROSMITH guitarist told The Musician's Ear that the is "in the can right now" but added that there is no set release date for the effort. "I just need to polish it up a bit more," he said. "I'm looking to release some of it in the New Year."

When Perry first talked about his next solo album last year, he indicated that it would be a mostly instrumental affair. Since then, he has revealed that several singers would be involved, including Terry Reid, David Johanson and Iggy Pop.

"It's got all kinds of sounds, but I would probably say 'funky' is the quickest way to put it," he said. "Everything starts with rhythm and that vibe.

"When I'm writing songs, it always starts with some variation of R&B and funk, whether it's been from the first AEROSMITH stuff till what we're going to work on this afternoon."

Perry recently said that AEROSMITH is only "considering" doing a farewell tour as an option, despite singer Steven Tyler's previous claim that the group would embark on its final tour in 2017.

Polish prog masters Riverside have released a statement regarding the future of the band and you can find the full text below:

“Dear Friends,

“We'd like to thank you again for your friendship and support throughout this most tragic time for us and we'd like to officially announce that we have made a decision about our future.

“We have decided that we are not going to do a casting for a new guitarist. Thus we have ceased to be a quartet and have become a trio. In this lineup we will prepare our new studio album. Both in the recording studio and on tour - if we get back to touring - we will be playing with session guitarists, who are our friends, whom we know and like. But the lineup of Riverside will be as shown in the picture (above).

“Yes, we do realize that this is not going to be the same band. We know that for many of you the story of Riverside ends here, this year, and that Eye Of The Soundscape might be the last Riverside album you'll buy. We know that some of you can't imagine this band without the characteristic guitar of Piotr Grudziński and for you Riverside has ceased to exist. But our story is not over yet; with a flaw, with a scar, with a wealth of new experiences, we have decided to go on.

“We know stories of many bands that have survived and have been successful, in spite of all. And we want to be the living proof that giving up is not an option and that we can be an inspiration for others, too. For as long as we can, we'll continue to do our best to create and meet with you wherever the emotions are running high. Grudzień will still be with us. We are definitely not going to forget him. He's a part of our lives. But in order for the memory of him to survive, we have to continue. And we want to. So we're embarking on another journey and we are thankful to everyone who will join us.

“Our plans for the nearest future? Next year we're going to start working on a new album. Marked by the circumstances, it will probably be a return to heavier and more intense sound. But before that, in February 2017, on the anniversary of Piotr's death, we'd like to play our first gig. A very special gig which will be an exceptional event. We'd like to play it with guests, with friends, for Piotr, for us. And for you. We'd like our music to be the hero of that day, we'd like to let it speak for itself. We'll give you more details about it in the coming weeks.

“The river will never be the same again but it doesn't mean it has to stop flowing.” - Mariusz Duda, Piotr Kozieradzki, Michał Łapaj

As previously mentioned, October 21st will see the release of Eye Of The Soundscape, a complementary Riverside instrumental album, via InsideOutMusic. The release features cover artwork by Travis Smith and includes 13 experimental and highly atmospheric compositions, which showcase Riverside’s ambient electronic side.

Eye Of The Soundscape compiles all the special instrumental Riverside tracks previously used as bonus material for the Shrine Of New Generation Slaves and Love, Fear And The Time Machine albums, alongside rare cuts as well as 4 new songs ("Where The River Flows", "Shine", "Sleepwalkers" and “Eye Of The Soundscape”) into a massive playing time of +100 minutes, which will be available as 2CD-Mediabook, 3LP (With both CD's as bonus and an etching on Side F!) or Digital Download.

 
The full track-listing for the release is as follows:
 
CD1:
“Where The River Flows”
“Shine”
“Rapid Eye Movement” (2016 Mix)
“Night Session - Part One”
“Night Session - Part Two”

CD2:
“Sleepwalkers”
“Rainbow Trip” (2016 Mix)
“Heavenland”
“Return”
“Aether”
“Machines”
“Promise”
“Eye Of The Soundscape”

The album's physical formats are available to pre-order from the InsideOut Shop as of today, including limited editions of the 3LP on white vinyl (100x copies) and on light blue vinyl (200x copies). Pre-order here.

Sound samples and more details for Eye Of The Soundscape will be revealed very soon.

METALLICA performed live this morning (Monday, September 26) on "The Howard Stern Show" on Howard Stern's exclusive SiriusXM channel Howard 100. Video footage of their appearance can be seen below.

The in-studio performance featured METALLICA playing songs from their 30-plus-year career, including music from their upcoming album "Hardwired…To Self-Destruct", scheduled to be released on November 18 on the band's Blackened Recordings.

Additionally, the band recorded a special edition of SiriusXM's "Town Hall" series — answering questions from a select group of SiriusXM listeners in the SiriusXM studios in New York City. The "Town Hall" special, hosted by music journalist and SiriusXM host David Fricke, will air on the band's limited-run SiriusXM channel Mandatory Metallica, launching Wednesday, November 16.

Mandatory Metallica, which originally aired on SiriusXM in 2009 and again in 2013 when the band performed a private concert for SiriusXM at the Apollo Theater in New York City, will feature hits, rarities and concert recordings from throughout the band's iconic career. The channel will air beginning Wednesday, November 16 at 5:00 p.m. ET and will air through Wednesday, November 23, via satellite on channel 40 and through the SiriusXM app on smartphones and other connected devices, as well as online at siriusxm.com. The METALLICA "Town Hall" will air Thursday, November 17 at 5:00 p.m. ET on Mandatory Metallica and SiriusXM's Octane, channel 37.

"SiriusXM's Town Hall With Metallica" is part of SiriusXM's "Town Hall" series, featuring iconic entertainers and figures sitting down with studio audiences of SiriusXM listeners.

"Hardwired...To Self-Destruct" was produced by Greg Fidelman with frontman James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich. The band recorded the disc at its own studio.

METALLICA will play a special intimate show at Webster Hall in New York City on Tuesday, September 27. The band will then appear at Neil Young's Bridge School Benefit in Mountain View, California on October 22 and October 23.

The End Records has announced the signing of TODAY IS THE DAY for the band's upcoming studio record and ten-album catalog. The group's new CD will be released in 2017 to coincide with TODAY IS THE DAY's 25th anniversary, and it will be followed by the catalog reissues, which feature exclusive, never-before seen and heard bonus material from the band's deep archives.

Currently in the studio are visionary frontman/founding member Steve Austin (vocals, guitars, keyboards), Trevor Thomas (bass), and Douglas Andrae (drums). From the studio, the album will be mastered by Maor Appelbaum (FAITH NO MORE's "Sol Invictus" and "We Care A Lot" reissue).

Asked about the new album sound, Austin described it as a "wide-open devastation of the human soul — a diary of un-filtered anger and emotion detailing the human experience and the struggle to survive."

The catalogue reissues fall on the 20th anniversary of TODAY IS THE DAY's seminal album "Temple Of The Morning Star". Austin says: "I am extremely psyched to be reissuing the TODAY IS THE DAY catalog with Andreas Katsambas, a longtime fan of the band. For the reissues, I searched my archives and pulled loads of photos, unreleased tracks, demos, and video to paint the rest of the picture. I wanna share a lot of those experiences, to hopefully expose a lot of the real life behind all my music."

TODAY IS THE DAY reigns as one of the most influential bands of the past two decades. The band's violent and anthemic style, which blends metal, noise, psychedelia, and rock, has won worldwide acclaim ever since the debut album, "Supernova", first hit in the early '90s. Ten studio albums have been released on such labels as Amphetamine Reptile, Relapse and Southern Lord — including modern-day classics like "Willpower", "Temple Of The Morning Star" and "In The Eyes Of God". The band's lineup has included such musicians as Brann Dailor and Bill Kelliher, who would later go on to form MASTODON. TODAY IS THE DAY has toured the world with MOTÖRHEAD, HELMET, MELVINS, MORBID ANGEL, CONVERGE, NAPALM DEATH, NEUROSIS, EYEHATEGOD, UNSANE, COALESCE, and many more. Steve Austin has made a name for himself as a producer, helping create seminal albums for LAMB OF GOD, CONVERGE, DEADGUY, among others.

DISTURBED's sixth studio album, "Immortalized ", was officially certified gold on September 23 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales of more than 500,000 copies. The certification came seven months after RIAA started including on-demand audio and video streams and a track sale equivalent in gold and platinum album award.

"Immortalized" features DISTURBED's version of "The Sound Of Silence", which has been a huge hit for the band. Paul Simon shared his approval of it publicly after watching the band perform the song on "Conan" and also exchanging e-mails with singer David Draiman.

DISTURBED's record label, Warner Bros., credited the song's popularity to the video for "Silence", which was released in December 2015. To date, the clip has been seen more than 108 million times, a record number of views on YouTube for the group.

"Immortalized" was released in August 2015. The effort became the band's fifth LP in a row to enter the chart at No. 1 — a feat shared only with METALLICA and DAVE MATTHEWS BAND.

Speaking about DISTURBED's comeback after going on a four-year hiatus in 2011, Draiman told Fight+Music: "It's been amazing. The fire has been stoked. We're performing at a level that I personally believe is unprecedented in our careers. The crowds have been amazing, huge. We've really been overwhelmed throughout the duration of this cycle with the amount of success that we've seen. We're very, very grateful."

A full stream of Brant Bjork's new album, Tao Of The Devil, can be found below. The album is out this Friday, September 30th.

As the founder of Kyuss, the singer/guitarist/drummer might be the ultimate icon the Desert Rock scene has to offer - but despite all this praise and worship, Brant Bjork’s only concern rests in supplying the planet with unpretentious laid-back rock, adorned with hefty jam-outs!

Tao Of The Devil tracklisting:

“The Greeheen”
“Humble Pie”
“Stackt”
“Luvin’”
“ Biker No. 2”
“Dave's War”
“Tao of the Devil’
“Evening Jam’ (bonus track)

Album stream:

“The Greeheen” lyric video:

“Stackt” video:

Unboxing Tao Of The Devil (Fanbox) video:

Tao Of The Devil will be available as:

- 4 page digipak
- 1LP Gatefold
- Deluxe Fan LP Edition:
* 1LP Gatefold
* 1LP Slipcase (3 Bonus Tracks)
* 4 Page Digipak
* Slipmat
* A2 Poster

Pre-order the album at this location.

Hailing from the English Midlands, its finest stoner doom outfit Alunah are finally back in the studio and have now unveiled first details about a brand new album, which is set to see the light of day in early 2017 via Finland's cult label, Svart Records.

The charismatic band with their nature inspired, psychedelic and doomish spirit are currently working in the Skyhammer Studios with Conana’s Chris Fielding, to record their fourth studio album. But while they do, Alunah have now unleashed first and hotly anticipated details from their upcoming record titled Solennial.

Says vocalist/guitarist Sophie Day: ”Adrian Baxter is an artist that has been on our radar for a year or so, his work struck a chord with us as soon as we saw it and we just had to work with him. He took my lyrics and created a masterpiece which encompasses every theme and subject matter from Solennial, it was completed quite a while ago so we're happy it is finally seeing the light of day. This week we will be heading up North to Skyhammer Studio to record the album with Chris Fielding; we always aim to try different things with our music but we're stepping way outside of our comfort zone this time, in more ways than one. We are very proud of the songs and can't wait for them to be released."

Solennial tracklisting:

“The Dying Soil”
“Light Of Winter”
“Feast Of Torches”
“The Reckoning Of Time”
“Fire Of Thornborough Henge”
“Petrichor”
“Lugh's Assembly”
“A Forest”

For 10 years, since first coming together back in 2006, Alunah have trafficked in a blend of the earthly and the unearthly. Over the course of their three albums - 2010’s Call Of Avernus, 2012’s White Hoarhound and 2014’s Awakening The Forest - the four-piece have been a constant force of progression into an individualized take on psychedelic and organic heft. Their material has never lacked structure or groove, but with the melodic vocals of guitarist Sophie Day ever at the fore, they keep an eye toward the ethereal as well.

As they always do, Alunah are moving forward. Sophie, guitarist David Day, bassist Daniel Burchmore and drummer Jake Mason have just recently signed to Svart Records for the early 2017 release of their fourth album Solennial, which they are currently recording with Chris Fielding (Conan) at Skyhammer Studio, also owned by Conan’s Jon Davis. Following in the footsteps of Svart alums Hexvessel, or Jess and the Ancient Ones, Alunah arrive at Svart Records preceded by a reputation for blending nature worship and heavy vibes with a grace that few can match, basking in a sun-soaked spirit of beauty and decay, folklore and deeply personal expression.

Look for them to expand their sonic palette with their upcoming album Solennial, set to be released in early 2017 on Svart Records, and see them build on what they’ve accomplished before in their rich, engaging sound that seems to be always wandering and never, ever lost.

To shorten your wait on Alunah's brand new album, catch the band live on the following dates:

October
20 - London, UK - Devonshire Arms
21 - Tilburg, Netherlands - Little Devil
22 - Leeuwarden, Netherlands - Into the Void Festival
28 - Coventry, UK - The Coal Vaults

 

A Killer’s Confession, the new project of former Mushroomhead vocalist Waylon Reavis, has released a 1:30 studio teaser for their debut single, “A Killer’s Confession”. The single, which will be released on Halloween, comes from the debut full-length, Unbroken, being released in early 2017 via Megadeth bassist David Ellefson’s EMP Label Group.

Reavis recently stated: “I am so proud of this project, and being able to come back with an absolutely KILLER record, with KILLER musicians. Anyone who has been a fan of anything I have done previously, is absolutely going to be floored by AKC. Seriously, if you have a dick, this record is going to knock it in the dirt.”

Due to overwhelming fan interest, A Killer’s Confession has also announced an “Early Bird” CD and LP pre-order, available now.

Says Reavis: “We got SO many of you blowing us up in comments and messages this week asking if you can pre-order #UNBROKEN, or how to support it being made, that we talked to EMP (Label Group), and decided to launch a special early bird pre-order that is available NOW! So RIGHT NOW you can pre-order CD or LP versions of #UNBROKEN, and get the "A Killer's Confession" single on 10/29, 2 days before it hits online retailers. Thank you so much for your support, it means the World to us. #AKC #UNBROKEN.”

The pre-order is available at this location..

Unbroken is being co-produced by Reavis and EMP’s Thom Hazaert, with engineer/mixer Richard Easterling (American Head Charge, Doll Skin, Emperors and Elephants) at Richmond, KY’s Third Sky Studio, responsible for recent releases from American Head Charge (Tango Umbrella), Doll Skin (Furious Fixation), Tantric, and more.

On signing to EMP Reavis had this to say. “I am so thankful to Thom and David for believing in me and getting behind this project the way they have. I have been watching everything they’ve done the last year, and I am so proud and excited to be part of the EMP family.”

Hazaert, who is no stranger to the Cleveland scene that spawned Mushroomhead, securing major label deals for Cleveland artists including Chimaira, Switched, and Erase The Grey, adds, “I have a long, great relationship with Waylon, I’ve collaborated with him on projects in the past, (Reavis also appears on a track on the current Dead By Wednesday guest vocalist release The Darkest Of Angels) and he is one of the humblest, hardest working guys in this business. His talent and drive are endless, and I couldn’t be more excited to help bring this project to the masses.”

Reavis was co-vocalist for Mushroomhead from 2004 to 2015, and appears on the albums Savior Sorrow (2006), Beautiful Stories for Ugly Children (2010), and The Righteous & The Butterfly (2014), as well as other projects including Tenafly Viper, which also featured former Chimaira bassist Jim LaMarca.

Sacramento, California-bassed modern death metal extremists, The Kennedy Veil, have welcomed a brand new vocalist to their ranks. Monte Barnard, best known for his time spent as the high energy frontman for tech-death shredders Alterbeast, as well as his live stints with Aussie deathcore titans Thy Art Is Murder, will take the reigns as the new frontman for The Kennedy Veil moving forward.

Monte had the following to say about joining TKV: "I could not be more excited to be working with The Kennedy Veil. I've known these guys for years and played with all of their respective projects prior to TKV. As a whole they make up one of the hardest working, most driven bands in the industry, never compromising. I have been somewhat of a hired gun for different projects over the last few years, so when they approached me to be the new permanent vocalist I instantly agreed. The chance to put my creative stamp on such strong material with my close friends would be moronic to pass up. We've matured as musicians from different backgrounds and influences, that mixed together are creating a truly memorable album. I can't wait to show the world what we've been crafting and to hit the road in 2017. Hails!"

The Kennedy Veil had the following to say about having Monte join the band, as well as their amicable parting with former vocalist, Taylor Wientjes: "We know people have been asking, so to clear things up and squash any potential rumors, we parted ways with Taylor earlier this summer due solely to creative differences. There is no bad blood and we are all still friends. Taylor is the permanent vocalist for Inanimate Existence, and we are great friends with all of them as well and wish them and Taylor all the best. Having said that, we are super excited to announce that Monte Barnard has joined us as our permanent vocalist moving forward. Monte is a beast and we're definitely stoked to have him laying down vocals on the new record and bringing his high energy stage presence to our live shows as well. We're all from the same general areas in and around Sacramento and have been fans of his work for years, and we can't wait to see how his high level of energy and creative approach to lyrics will help push us to the next level in the realm of death metal. 2017 is definitely ushering in a brand new, extra brutal era for The Kennedy Veil and we look forward to hitting the road again and seeing you all soon!"

The Kennedy Veil with Monte at the helm, will make their live debut on October 15th at the Zombie Ball in Lake Tahoe, CA supporting heavy hitters Cattle Decapitation and Mantar.

The Kennedy Veil are currently finishing up the writing process for the follow up to Trinity of Falsehood, and are set to hit the studio later this year, with tentative dates scheduled for late November and early December. TKV's as-yet-untitled sophomore album will see a release in spring 2017 via Unique Leader Records.

The Kennedy Veil had a successful year in 2015, touring alongside death metal heavyweights like Psycroptic, Vital Remains and black metallers Necronomicon. The Kennedy Veil also shot their first music video for the track “King Of Slaves”, which can be viewed below. With a new vocalist and a new album due out in 2017, TKV are looking forward to getting back out on the road and reaching a whole new legion of fans.

(Photo - Bryan Deyo)

Cult Of Luna & Julie Christmas are streaming the song “Cygnus”, a track from their new album, Mariner. Listen below.

Mariner tracklisting:

“A Greater Call”
“Chevron”
“The Wreck of S.S. Needle”
“Approaching Transition”
“Cygnus”

“Cygnus”:

“Chevron” video:

Cult Of Luna & Julie Christmas will embark on the Mariner Tour 2016 in November (dates on tour ad below). Subscribe to the to Cult Of Luna newsletter and get exclusive early birds tickets sales links for 24 hours.

"Mariner was never supposed to be played live. It was under this premise that we started working together with Julie over two years ago. The goal was to release the album, which was hard enough considering that we live on two sides of the gigantic Atlantic ocean. But if there's one thing that life has taught me, it’s that you should never say never - however unlikely an event seems to be.

“Usually unlikely events are bad things that happen despite all precautions but in this case... well, let’s just say that the outcome is yet to be decided. The stars have aligned perfectly and I am going to have take back what I’ve repeated in numerous interviews this past year: that Mariner will not be played live, because it will. We have managed to sync our schedules and in November we will do a select few shows in Europe. Note that we will only play Mariner from start to finish.

“There will be five Cult Of Luna & Julie Christmas shows in Europe, nothing more and nothing less. There are no plans to perform the album live again. We are as excited to hear how this plays out live as you might be because we haven’t played the songs together before. Hope to see you in November." - Johannes/ Cult of Luna

Beer-loving, Portland-based rock band Red Fang, who launch a European tour this evening in Brighton, are streaming “Not For You”, a new song from their forthcoming album, Only Ghosts, out on October 14th via Relapse Records.

“Not For You” is the third track the band have previewed from the 10-song album, sharing the song “Flies  upon the album announcement and unleashing the hilarious Predator-themed video for “Shadows”  via Funny or Die earlier this month.

The band also announced the addition of a hometown (Portland) show to their forthcoming US tour, confirming a December 17th date at Wonder Ballroom. The full routing for the tour, which features openers Torche and Whores, is below.

Only Ghosts was produced by the legendary Ross Robinson (At The Drive In, The Cure, Slipknot, and many more) and mixed by Joe Baressi (Queens Of The Stone Age, Kyuss, Melvins). Only Ghosts consists of 10 new tracks of the band's signature, high-impact, hook-filled, hard rock.

Red Fang prove once again they are top-notch songwriters who have mastered the heavy anthem without taking themselves too seriously. Only Ghosts is a rock album of incredible magnitude that demands to be played at maximum volume! The debut single from the album, "Flies”, can be heard below.

Only Ghosts was recorded earlier this year at Robinson’s Venice, CA studio. The album is set for release this October 14th on CD/LP/Digital. Physical pre-orders are available via Relapse.com here, and digital pre-orders can be found at the band's Bandcamp page at this location.

Only Ghosts tracklisting:

“Flies”
“Cut It Short”
“Flames”
“No Air”
“Shadows”
“Not For You”
“The Smell of the Sound”
“The Deep”
“I Am a Ghost”
“Living in Lye”

"Shadows" video:

“Flies”:

David Sullivan offers a guitar tutorial for the album’s lead track, “Flies”, in the video below:

In-studio videos:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Red Fang live:

September (with Torche)
26 - Brighton, UK - Concorde 2
27 - London, UK - Koko
28 - Bristol, UK - Bierkeller
29 - Leeds, UK - Leeds Stylus
30 - Manchester, UK - Manchester Academy 2

October (with Torche)
2 - Birmingham, UK - Institute2
3 - Glasgow, UK - Garage
4 - Newcastle, UK - Riverside
5 - Southampton, UK - Engine Rooms
7 - Athens, Greece - Desert Fest
9 - Paris, France - Trabendo
10 - Munich, Germany - Strom
11 - Vienna, Austria - Szene Wien
12 - Berlin, Germany - Huxleys
13 - Cologne, Germany - Essigfabrik
15 - Leipzig, Germany - Conne Island
16 - Hamburg, Germany - Markethalle
18 - Odense, Denmark - Posten
19 - Oslo, Norway - John Dee
20 - Stockholm, Sweden - Debaser Medis
21 - Malmo, Sweden - KB
22 - Munster, Germany - Skater’s Place
23 - Karlsruhe, Germany - Substage
24 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg (OZ)

November
18 – San Francisco, CA – Slim’s
19 - Pomona, CA - Glasshouse
20 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom
22 - San Diego, CA - Casbah
23 - Phoenix, AZ - Rebel Lounge
25 - Austin, TX - Mohawk
26 - Dallas, TX - Three Links
27 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Studio
29 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade (Hell)
30 - Durham, NC - Motorco

December
1 - Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel
2 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts
4 - Boston, MA - The Sinclair
5 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge
7 - Pittsburgh, PA - Spirit Lounge
8 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom
9 - Detroit, MI - El Club
10 - Chicago, IL - Metro
11 - Bloomington, IL - Castle Theater
13 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
14 - Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge
15 - Boise, ID - Neurolux
16 - Seattle, WA - Showbox
17 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom

Red Fang is:

John Sherman - Drums
Aaron Beam - Bass, Vocals
David Sullivan - Guitar
Maurice Bryan Giles - Guitar, Vocals

(Photo - Whitey Mcconnaughy)

Hollywood Monsters, the hard rock supergroup featuring French vocalist and guitar phenom Steph Honde, who anchored the band of original Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Dianno, and drum icon Vinny Appice of Black Sabbath and Dio, returns with a brand new album of killer tracks.

Capture The Sun ups the ante of the band's highly acclaimed 2014 debut album offering even more killer riffs and outstanding songwriting as well as a superb cover of David Bowie’s “Sweet Thing”/“Candidate” from the glamtastic Diamond Dogs album. As always, this Hollywood Monsters joint features a TON of outstanding special guest performances including the likes of bassist Tim Bogert (Vanilla Fudge, Beck, Bogert, Appice), another Dio alumn Tracy G, Whitesnake’s Neil Murray, Danko Jones, and many others.

Watch a video teaser below.

Tracklisting:

“Mysteries Of Life”
“Evilution”
“Always Crashing The Same Car”
“It's A Lie”
“Waiting”
“Don't Let It Happen”
“Another Day In Grey Part II”
“Everything Is Going To Be Alright”
“Dreams”
“King For A Day”
“Capture The Sun”
“Sweet Thing” / “Candidate” / “Sweet Thing” (Reprise)
“Fool For Your Loving” (Bouns Track)

Teaser:

Buy the CD here. Get the digital version here.

Most of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA's videos have treaded into unusual territories, and, as it tells a powerful love story that transcends time and space, the one for the band's new song "To The Key Of Evergreen" is no exception.

With inspiration from singer Mike Hranica's all-time favorite love story, Vladimir Nabokov's "Lolita", the "To The Key Of Evergreen" video follows a young man who crosses impossible barriers of dimension and time to be with his true, lost love.

The video was directed by Maria Juranic who also directed PRADA's critically acclaimed "First Sight" and "War" videos, as well as DOOMTREE's "Final Boss". Hranica said: "Maria was able to distill into the video the love story's warmth and emotion that is apparent in the song's lyrics. Even her first edit blew us out of the water."

"To The Key Of Evergreen" is taken from THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA's upcoming album, "Transit Blues", which is due out October 7 via Rise Records. The band retreated to both Watertown, Wisconsin and Sawyer, Michigan last winter to write "Transit Blues", for the first time living and creating in a shared, full time space. They re-teamed with "Space" producer Dan Korneff (PIERCE THE VEIL, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE) in the spring of 2016 to record the 11-track effort. Overall, the album reflects themes of transition, separation, and mourning.

To support the release, THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA — Hranica, Jeremy DePoyster (guitar, vocals), Andy Trick (bass), Kyle Sipress (guitar), joined by Giuseppe Capolupo (drums) and Jonathan Gering (keyboards) — will kick off "The Rise Up Tour" on October 11, co-headlining with MEMPHIS MAY FIRE. SILVERSTEIN and LIKE MOTHS TO FLAMES will open all shows.

Photo credit: Anthony Barlich

ENUFF Z'NUFF's new album, "Clowns Lounge", will be released on December 2 via Frontiers Music Srl.

"Clowns Lounge" is a collection of rarities and early demos that have been reworked and re-recorded by the band. This exceptional collection also features a guest appearance from the late Jani Lane (WARRANT) as well as an appearance from James Young of STYX. As people have been clamoring for a new release from ENUFF Z'NUFF, the band just happened to receive a call from Derek Shulman, and the rest was history: "We had unfinished, unreleased material in the vault, and I went back into the studio in Chicago and started working on all the songs," said Chip Z'nuff. "Guitars, bass, vocals, it all needed to be tweaked, and with help from Chicago Recording Company and Chris Steinmetz of Stonecutter recording studios, we were able to create another rock-solid record. It is basically an archival record featuring original band and ENUFF Z'NUFF as it is today. The record showcases the best elements of ENUFF Z'NUFF in the early days: in-your-face glitter rock with pop overtones. This is a true must have rock record for the diehard ENUFF Z'NUFF fans worldwide." Chip on how the songs came about: "Donnie and I wrote the songs in the later part of 1988-89. They were recorded in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, on two-inch analog tape, during the time of our debut. The tracks were never finished, as we were very prolific and focused on laying down as many ideas as possible. Through the resources provided to us — recording studio, production, etc.— we had a plethora of songs during that era and, for one reason or another, this batch slipped through the cracks.

"To restore the record we returned to the studio to record guitar, bass vocals, etc. which took us about six weeks in my studio and at CRC (Chicago Recording Company) along with Stonecutter studio in downtown Chicago. The skeleton of the song was already in place and we wanted to make sure the record had the feel of where the band is today. We also added a bonus single track ('Dog On A Bone') that we plan on releasing as the first single." Of course, a huge contributing member to this release was Donnie Vie. "Donnie and I wrote the songs together, as we have on all the ENUFF Z'NUFF albums," Chip continued. "In 2013, Donnie left the band, disillusioned by the business and facing related health issues, and although he will not tour with the band, he still shares in our vision of putting out great music. As he is dealing with his medical condition, we have his blessings on the record and moving forward with me as lead singer.

"When Peter Gabriel left GENESIS, Phil Collins took over lead vocal duties. That is exactly the template we used here as now I front the band and look forward to moving it into the future."

"Clowns Lounge" track listing:

01. Dog On A Bone 02. Runaway 03. Back In Time 04. She Makes It Harder05. Rockabye Dreamland 06. The Devil Of Shakespeare (feat. Jani Lane and James Young)07. Radio 08. Good Luv 09. Round And Round 10. Nothing 11. Backstreet Kids 12. One More Hit ENUFF Z'NUFF is:

Chip Z'nuff - Vocals, electric bass, guitarTony Fennell - Electric guitar, vocalsTory Stoffregen - Lead guitar, vocalsErik Donner - Drums, percussion, vocals

"The Pitiless", the new video from Swedish melodic death metallers DARK TRANQUILLITY, can be seen below. The song is taken from the band's eleventh album, "Atoma", which will be released on November 4 through Century Media Records.

"The Pitiless" video was filmed during DARK TRANQUILLITY's appearance at Germany's Turock Open Air festival in Essen by director Dirk Behlau.

The band comments: "Selecting the first single from an album as diverse as 'Atoma' is always a hard task, but we felt that 'The Pitiless' gives a good representation of the general vibe of the material. It's fast, melodic and with a sense of urgency that permeates the whole album."

DARK TRANQUILLITY's next video will be filmed by Vesa Ranta (ex-SENTENCED drummer) in Northern Sweden and you can expect something very epic!

"Atoma" track listing: 01. Encircled02. Atoma03. Forward Momentum04. Neutrality05. Force Of Hand06. Faithless By Default 07. The Pitiless08. Our Proof Of Life09. Clearing Skies10. When The World Screams11. Merciless Fate12. Caves And Embers A limited-edition double CD will be available as a digipak in North America and as a mediabook in Europe. The bonus disc features the songs "The Absolute" and "Time Out Of Place" that showcase a very different side of the band. Recorded and mixed by Anders Lagerfors at Nacksving studios, these tracks are among the darkest and most brooding ever from the band — but their experimental nature make them far removed from the usual metal territory. The band explains: "A lot of our songs start out as pieces of music written on piano/keyboards before getting transformed into guitar driven metal. With this recording, we wanted to explore what would happen if we instead let the material take another direction, and we're extremely thrilled by the result."

These songs will exclusively be available on the physical deluxe edition of "Atoma" and won't appear on the digital edition of the album. A vinyl seven-inch single is planned for early 2017. The gatefold vinyl LP will contain the 12 track CD and is available in different vinyl colors:

* Black vinyl: worldwide* Blue vinyl: limited to 400 copies exclusive through Bengans in Sweden* Dark Green: limited to 200 copies exclusive through CDon in Scandinavia* Clear vinyl: limited to 400 copies in North America* Transparent Blue vinyl: limited to 300 copies exclusive through cmdistro.com in North AmericaTransparent Red vinyl: limited to 200 copies exclusive available through cmdistro.com in Europe "Atoma" was recorded at Rogue Music in Gothenburg, the studio owned by DARK TRANQUILLITY keyboardist Martin Brändström. Mixing duties were handled by David Castillo, known for his work with bands such as KATATONIA, OPETH and CANDLEMASS. The cover artwork was once again created by the band's guitarist Niklas Sundin. The touring cycle for "Atoma" will start with a headline North American run in November, featuring SWALLOW THE SUN, ENFORCER and STARKILL as support acts. A European tour is planned for early 2017.

DARK TRANQUILLITY vocalist Mikael Stanne recently told Kaaos TV about the recording process for the band's upcoming album: "We actually decided to start recording in January, and then we realized, 'Nah, we're not really ready. We need to work on this stuff a bit more.' And then a bit more and then a bit more. And finally, it was, like, 'Fuck it! We need a deadline. We need to finish this.' So finally it happened. But for a while there, I just couldn't see it. Like, 'It's not even close.'"

Asked why it was so difficult for DARK TRANQUILLITY to come up with a new album's worth of material that they were happy with, Mikael said: "This is gonna be our eleventh album, [and] for yourself, you feel, like, 'My God! We don't wanna repeat ourselves. We don't wanna do the same thing over and over again. We wanna do something new.' It has to feel fresh, and it has to feel different. And how do you find the inspiration and stuff like that? It is kind of tough. But we got started, and eventually, it's, like, 'Holy shit! We're on to something here.' And it started feeling really good, and now it feels awesome. Some of the songs are incredible."

Regarding how DARK TRANQUILLITY's recent lineup change affected the songwriting process for the new album, Mikael said: "[Bassist] Martin Henriksson left the band in January, and that was a big blow. I mean, he used to write tons of stuff for the band, but in the last couple of years, he has kind of focused on other things. He's more like a manager for he band — he arranges all the festivals and trips and everything like that — and he just kind of fell out of love with touring and writing and playing, so now he's a full-on manager and stuff."

Mikael also talked about how the songwriting process was different this time around. He said: "Anders [Jivarp, drums] has written most of the songs, I think, or most of the material, and then Martin [Brändström, keyboards] and Anders kind of structured it and put it together. And then Niklas wrote two or three songs, and Martin [Brändström] wrote two or three songs, stuff like that. It's becoming really diverse. Like some of the stuff that Anders has done is really different, and the stuff that Niklas has done is really different and the stuff that Martin [Brändström] has done is really, really kind of out there in a way. So I'm super excited. The album is shaping up to be fantastic."

Photo credit: Dirk Behlau

METALLICA's official video for the song "Moth Into Flame" can be seen at Metallica.com. The clip, which is also available below, was directed by Tom Kirk (MUSE).

"Moth Into Flame" is taken from METALLICA's tenth studio album, "Hardwired...To Self-Destruct", which is scheduled for a November 18 release via Blackened Recordings. The long-awaited follow-up to 2008's "Death Magnetic" consists of two discs, containing a dozen songs and nearly 80 minutes of music.

"Hardwired...To Self-Destruct" was produced by Greg Fidelman with frontman James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich. The band recorded the disc at its own studio.

Ulrich spoke with Rolling Stone in a recent interview about the lyrical themes on the "Hardwired...To Self-Destruct". He revealed: "There's a lot of dark stuff about relationships. Not just with other people, but the hidden personalities within."

Hetfield told The Pulse Of Radio which songs on the new record contained some of his favorite lyrics. "You know, for me, lyrically some of the favorite, 'Moth Into Flame', I like 'Am I Savage' and boy, I really like 'Dream No More', which is also kind of another Cthulhu reference but in a very different sense. [Laughs]."

Ulrich also said about the disc's musical style: "Most of the songs are simpler. We introduce a mood and we stick to it, rather than songs we've done where one riff happens and we go over here and then over there and becomes a journey through all these different soundscapes. The songs are more linear."

METALLICA will play a special intimate show at Webster Hall in New York City on Tuesday, September 27. The band will then appear at Neil Young's Bridge School Benefit in Mountain View, California on October 22 and October 23.

Norwegian progressive metallers LEPROUS will release their very first live DVD, CD and LP package titled "Live At Rockefeller Music Hall", on November 25 via InsideOut Music. Recorded live at a hometown show in Oslo on June 4 of this year, "Live At Rockefeller Music Hall" will arrive on various formats, including a limited DVD+2CD digipak, standalone DVD, 2CD jewelcase, gatefold 3LP + 2CD and as digital download audio.

The full track listing of the concert part is as follows: LEPROUS - "Live At Rockefeller Music Hall":

01. The Flood02. Foe03. Third Law04. Rewind05. The Cloak06. Acquired Taste07. Red08. Slave09. The Price10. Moon11. Down12. The Valley13. Forced Entry14. Contaminate Me Additionally, the DVD contains the following bonus materials:

01. Behind The Scenes02. Slave (Lyric Video)03. Restless (Video Clip)04. The Cloak (Video Clip)05. The Price (Video Clip)06. Leprous At Rockefeller 13 Years Earlier

LEPROUS vocalist and keyboardist Einar Solberg stated about the DVD shoot: "The recording of the DVD went great, and it was one of the best nights of our career so far!

"On most live albums these days, bands are re-recording most of the stuff afterwards in the studio, to make it sound 'perfect.' For us, that's out of question. We wanna keep the live feel, especially to give a big contrast to the rather 'perfected' studio albums! Definitely more organic!" Next up, LEPROUS will kick off a North American headline tour this week. In addition, they have locked in a massive run of dates supporting DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT and BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME in Europe as well as DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT and TESSERACT in the U.K. early 2017.

Solberg said about the upcoming European tour: "We're very happy to be a part of such a fantastic tour package, and it will be pure joy to play together with both BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME and DEVIN TOWNSEND PROJECT! We believe this tour can help us up to the next level, and that there are many potential new followers to convince here!"

LEPROUS's latest studio album, "The Congregation", came out in May 2015 via InsideOut Music. The drums, guitars and bass for the follow-up to 2013's "Coal" were recorded at Sweden's Fascination Street and Ghostward Studios with David Castillo (KATATONIA, OPETH) and the vocals with Heidi Solberg Tveitan and Vegard Tveitan at Mnemosyne Studios in Norway. Just like the preceding albums, "Bilateral" and "Coal", "The Congregation" was mixed by Jens Bogren (OPETH, SYMPHONY X, KREATOR) at Fascination Street.

Hardline are streaming the new song “In The Dead Of The Night”, a track from their new album, Human Nature, set for release on October 14th. The new song can be heard below.

Following the rebirth of the band that happened with the release of Danger Zone in 2012, Hardline have regrouped around fabulous singer Johnny Gioeli (Axel Rudi Pell) with the excellent production and keyboard skills of Alessandro Del Vecchio (Rated X, Resurrection Kings, Revolution Saints), the shredding talents of guitarist Josh Ramos (The Storm), and the powerful rhythm section made up of bassist Anna Portalupi (Tarja Turunen) and drummer Francesco Jovino (Primal Fear, Jorn). All these musicians have an impressive pedigree, but what makes Hardline special is how well their unique and different talents blend together.

The goal for their new album was to have a heavier and updated version of the original Hardline sound. Think debut album, 1992's Double Eclipse updated for the 21st Century, with a grittier and more straight ahead sound. Anthemic, hard rocking songs are what you can expect from this record and hook after hook, riff after riff, you’ll find yourself wowed by this absolute monster of an album!

When Gioeli and Del Vechhio got together to begin writing songs for the album, “The plan was to create an album that emulates the feeling of Double Eclipse combined with the dynamics of modern day rock. Very heavy and in your face, but still with hitting melodies,” says Johnny. “I have a tremendous amount of Axel Rudi Pell fans that know me for the way I deliver a metal song too. So yes, it’s definitely the heaviest we have done since the debut. I see this album as the perfect mix of styles.”

“As a producer I pushed everyone to squeeze these songs and put as much attitude as we could on tape,” adds Alessandro Del Vecchio. “We wanted more of an in-your-face attitude than our softer albums. I think we understood we had something special in our hands when we finished ‘Take You Home’. Even if it's the ballad of the album I guess it's the focal point of the musical bond that Johnny and myself share with the whole band.”

“The guys put their heart and soul into their performances,” concludes Johnny “You can hear the essence of every drum strike and the sweat hitting the drums shortly after. Do it again, Cesco! HARDER, HARDER! Josh, Anna and Ale wouldn’t stop until their fingers said ‘enough’…and then……we did it again and again. That’s rock and roll man. Songs like ‘Where Will We Go From Here,’ ‘Human Nature’ and ‘Take You Home,’ to me they are the essence of what I LOVE to sing and HOW I love to sing!”

Tracklisting:

“Where Will We Go From Here”
“Nobody’s Fool”
“Human Nature”
“Trapped In Muddy Waters”
“Running On Empty”
“The World Is Falling Down”
“Take You Home”
“Where The North Wind Blows”
“In The Dead Of The Night”
“United We Stand”
“Fighting The Battle”

“In The Dead Of The Night”:

“Nobody’s Fool”:

“Where Will We Go From Here” video:

 

British folk metal innovators Skyclad have just posted a 30 second "studio teaser" on their official Facebook page. The clip was recorded yesterday and shows Dave Pugh recording guitars for one of the songs for the new album.

Skyclad's long-awaited comeback album will be released via their new deal with French label Listenable Records.

Band guitarist/songwriter Steve Ramsey recently commented: “We're really looking forward to working with the whole Listenable team. They did a fantastic job for Satan in the past four years, becoming good friends and reliable partners. We're excited to extend this partnership to the Skyclad family.”

Skyclad are a British heavy metal band formed in 1990 in their home town of Newcastle Upon Tyne. Combining heavy metal/thrash metal with British indie/post-punk and folk influences, they created a highly original and influential sound; today Skyclad are widely regarded as one of the originators of folk metal. The band’s lyrics are generally in the vein of a classic protest band, discussing politics, society, social issues and environmental destruction.

In the past 25 years, Skyclad played hundreds of shows all across Europe and released 12 critically acclaimed LPs plus several EPs and compilation albums.

Skyclad's yet unnamed first album on Listenable Records is scheduled for a release in spring 2017. It will be the band's 13th studio album and marks the return of guitarist Dave Pugh to Skyclad's lineup as a permanent member.

Steve added: “The new album will contain loads of brand new songs as well as tunes based on demos we recorded around 2011/2012. Some ideas from the mid 1990s that we recently re-discovered might make it to the LP, too!

“Even though we played a couple of ‘old school shows’ recently, the new LP definitely won’t be a thrash album; but it will be no typical folk metal album either. We’ll use all the options we now have - with three guitarists, additional vocals, fiddle, keyboards, bass and drums - to create an album that will be the same but different. 100% Skyclad!“

Eternal Flight have contacted BraveWords with an exclusive update:

"Here's the prog metal psycho blues new offering from Eternal Flight, 'Labyrinth'! The last song featuring the unique John Macaluso as a very special guest on drums and the one closer in style to his legendary ex-band, Ark. The funny thing is that lately, John joined Labyrinth, the cult italian band! Congratulations to him and them! This could please also more our prog metal fans into bands like Fates Warning, Dream Theater or Evergrey.

We hope it keeps you patient while we're still in recording phase of our new album that will feature nine other songs besides the three recorded with John. Tomorrow we'll post a video of our new drummer shot in the studio and give more details about him. For now enjoy the 'Labyrinth'!"

Already issued as a lyric video in January, "Angels Of Violence" is getting a new lift visually as this time rereleased as a real video clip, shot and directed by Mathieu Breffin from Switzerland. BraveWords brings you the exclusive premier of the new video:

Those who read the lyrics in the other video will be even more at ease with the meaning behind the images of war and the featuring of the young actor playing a soldier boy.

The song is about the fact that in many places all over the world, war and violence become the only education and way out. What will happen to the world if all that these kids know and learn is hate?

This song was also (at the time) the first one to be released by the new lineup and this time the guys are not only coming from France. Founding member Gérard Fois (lead vocals, keys, production), known in the ‘90s for his work with Dream Child (second album was released on Metal Blade), teamed with Thibaud Ducros (rythm guitars) also coming from France (also known for doing vocals for death metal band Darkrise who did a Euro tour with Morgoth and Incantation this spring) but also with Swiss guys Jérome Fischer (lead guitars) and Arnaud Neri (bass). On the drums, none other than US drummer extraordinaire John Macaluso (Malmsteen, Ark, TNT) came to help the band to ignite fire to the song as a very special guest.

As the 4th album is in pre-production phase, the band released three new songs in the first part of 2016 to keep the buzz going. Besides "Angels...", "Pandora's Box" was also released as a lyric video and soon it will be the turn of the more complex "Labyrinth.” More details about Labyrinth will be revealed soon.

“Pandora’s Box” lyric video: